Osterode (district)
Encyclopedia
Osterode is a district in Lower Saxony
, Germany
. It is bounded by (from the southwest and clockwise) the districts of Göttingen
, Northeim
and Goslar
, and by the state of Thuringia
(districts of Nordhausen
and Eichsfeld
).
mountains was ruled by the Welfen dynasty from the 12th century on. Osterode was the centre of the Principality of Brunswick-Grubenhagen, one of many small states within Brunswick-Lüneburg
. Later this principality became part of Hanover
, which in turn fell to the Kingdom of Prussia
in 1866. In 1885 the Prussian administration established districts, among them Osterode.
mountains, including the southern portion of the Harz National Park
.
Lower Saxony
Lower Saxony is a German state situated in north-western Germany and is second in area and fourth in population among the sixteen states of Germany...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. It is bounded by (from the southwest and clockwise) the districts of Göttingen
Göttingen (district)
Göttingen is a district in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is bounded by the districts of Northeim and Osterode, and by the states of Thuringia and Hesse .-History:...
, Northeim
Northeim (district)
Northeim is a district in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is bounded by the districts of Holzminden, Hildesheim, Goslar, Osterode and Göttingen, and the state of Hesse .-History:...
and Goslar
Goslar (district)
Goslar is a district in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is bounded by the districts of Osterode, Northeim, Hildesheim and Wolfenbüttel, the city of Salzgitter, and by the states of Saxony-Anhalt and Thuringia .-History:The history of the district is linked with the city of Goslar.The district of Goslar...
, and by the state of Thuringia
Thuringia
The Free State of Thuringia is a state of Germany, located in the central part of the country.It has an area of and 2.29 million inhabitants, making it the sixth smallest by area and the fifth smallest by population of Germany's sixteen states....
(districts of Nordhausen
Nordhausen (district)
Nordhausen is a Kreis in the north of Thuringia, Germany. Neighboring districts are Harz and Mansfeld-Südharz in Saxony-Anhalt, the district Kyffhäuserkreis, Eichsfeld in Thuringia and the districts Osterode and Goslar in Lower Saxony.-History:The district was created in 1815, when the Prussian...
and Eichsfeld
Eichsfeld (district)
Eichsfeld is a district in Thuringia, Germany, and part of the historical region of Eichsfeld. It is bounded by the districts of Nordhausen, Kyffhäuserkreis and Unstrut-Hainich, and by the states of Hesse and Lower Saxony .-History:In medieval times the Eichsfeld, which is larger than the...
).
History
This part of the HarzHarz
The Harz is the highest mountain range in northern Germany and its rugged terrain extends across parts of Lower Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt and Thuringia. The name Harz derives from the Middle High German word Hardt or Hart , latinized as Hercynia. The legendary Brocken is the highest summit in the Harz...
mountains was ruled by the Welfen dynasty from the 12th century on. Osterode was the centre of the Principality of Brunswick-Grubenhagen, one of many small states within Brunswick-Lüneburg
Brunswick-Lüneburg
The Duchy of Brunswick-Lüneburg , or more properly Duchy of Brunswick and Lüneburg, was an historical ducal state from the late Middle Ages until the late Early Modern era within the North-Western domains of the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation, in what is now northern Germany...
. Later this principality became part of Hanover
Electorate of Hanover
The Electorate of Brunswick-Lüneburg was the ninth Electorate of the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation...
, which in turn fell to the Kingdom of Prussia
Kingdom of Prussia
The Kingdom of Prussia was a German kingdom from 1701 to 1918. Until the defeat of Germany in World War I, it comprised almost two-thirds of the area of the German Empire...
in 1866. In 1885 the Prussian administration established districts, among them Osterode.
Geography
More than two thirds of the district's area are occupied by the southwestern part of the HarzHarz
The Harz is the highest mountain range in northern Germany and its rugged terrain extends across parts of Lower Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt and Thuringia. The name Harz derives from the Middle High German word Hardt or Hart , latinized as Hercynia. The legendary Brocken is the highest summit in the Harz...
mountains, including the southern portion of the Harz National Park
Harz National Park
The Harz National Park is a nature reserve in the German federal states of Lower Saxony and Saxony-Anhalt. It comprises large portions of the western Harz mountain range, extending from Herzberg and Bad Lauterberg at the southern edge to Bad Harzburg and Ilsenburg on the northern slopes...
.
Coat of arms
The coat of arms displays two heraldic lions. The lion in the upper part is from the arms of Hanover, the lower lion represents the Welfen dynasty.Towns and municipalities
| Towns | Samtgemeinden | |
|---|---|---|
|
Bad Grund Bad Grund is a town in the district of Osterode, in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated in the western Harz, approx. 7 km west of Clausthal-Zellerfeld, and 10 km north of Osterode am Harz.... 2 Badenhausen Badenhausen is a municipality in the district of Osterode, in Lower Saxony, Germany.... Eisdorf Eisdorf is a municipality in the district of Osterode, in Lower Saxony, Germany.... Gittelde Gittelde is a municipality in the district of Osterode, in Lower Saxony, Germany.... Windhausen Windhausen is a municipality in the district of Osterode, in Lower Saxony, Germany.... 1
Elbingerode, Lower Saxony Elbingerode is a municipality in the district of Osterode, in Lower Saxony, Germany.... Hörden am Harz Hörden am Harz is a municipality in the district of Osterode, in Lower Saxony, Germany.... Wulften am Harz Wulften am Harz is a municipality in Lower Saxony, Germany, near the towns of Northeim and Osterode am Harz.-Geography:Wulften am Harz lies on the south western edge of the Harz mountains and on the north western end of the Rotenberg hills. The Oder river flows past the village... |
Walkenried Walkenried is a municipality in the district of Osterode, in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated in the southern Harz, approx. 15 km south of Braunlage, and 15 km northwest of Nordhausen.... 1 Wieda Wieda is a municipality in the district of Osterode, in Lower Saxony, Germany.... Zorge Zorge is a municipality in the district of Osterode, in Lower Saxony, Germany. The river of the same name starts in the village.... |
| |colspan=2 align=center|1seat of the Samtgemeinde; 2town |
External links
- Official website (German)
- Local history